Zhou Yunmei was truly touched by Duan Fenghua’s words.
She immediately took Duan Fenghua’s hand, smiling as she said, "Exactly, I also see your Xu He as my own daughter. Let her come and visit my house more often, to keep me company and chat."
Duan Fenghua seemed to have been waiting for just this phrase, appearing somewhat excited as she nodded quickly in response, "Sure, I’ll tell her when I get home. But she’s young and doesn’t know much yet, so you’ll have to teach her more."
"Of course, she’s welcome at my house," Zhou Yunmei, at this moment, still wasn’t thinking about anything else, just recalling what Duan Fenghua said about treating Luo Zhiyong like a half son.
Duan Fenghua and Zhou Yunmei exchanged a few pleasantries at the doorway, and by the time Zhou Yunmei returned to the courtyard, Fang Pingying purposefully looked at her hands and, seeing them empty, curled her lips into a smile.
This Duan Fenghua really was clear about her goals; the bananas she brought were indeed intended for Luo Zhiyong, and with Luo Zhiyong gone, she took the bananas with her as well.
Just now she kept calling Zhou Yunmei as close as a sister, yet now she wouldn’t even leave a bunch of bananas for her "sister."
Only someone like Zhou Yunmei could be so easily deceived, truly believing others treat her well and sharing everything that’s going on at home with them.
Fang Pingying was thinking this when Luo Honglan happened to run out from the kitchen.
She saw the bananas in Duan Fenghua’s hands earlier, and was briefly happy, thinking that later she might get to eat one.
Because bananas are expensive in their town and rarely bought by her family, Luo Honglan hadn’t had the chance to eat them very often.
When she saw that Duan Fenghua had left and there were no bananas in the courtyard, she asked Zhou Yunmei, "Mom, where are the bananas Aunt Fenghua gave us? Give me one to eat."
"Bananas?" Only then did Zhou Yunmei remember that Duan Fenghua had come specifically to give the bananas to Luo Zhiyong and, when she mentioned that Luo Zhiyong had left, Duan Fenghua didn’t offer to bring them inside, and then simply took them with her after the conversation.
Luo Honglan understood now and pouted, "How stingy of Aunt Fenghua, to just take the bananas with her."
"Those were for your elder brother originally, and since he’s left, of course she’d take them back. She wanted to ingratiate herself with your elder brother," Fang Pingying said this mainly for Zhou Yunmei to hear so that she would at least be aware that Duan Fenghua’s warmth was because of Luo Zhiyong.
But clearly, Zhou Yunmei hadn’t thought it through that way, and was only fixated on the banana situation.
After a long silence, she glanced discontentedly towards the door that Duan Fenghua had departed from and muttered, "You’re right, she is stingy, making such a fuss over a banana."
Then she consoled herself by saying, "Never mind, it’s better if she didn’t leave them behind. Otherwise, I would have felt obliged to repay the favor, and I can’t be bothered with all that."
Fang Pingying knew she hadn’t taken in what she’d said, but agreeing with Zhou Yunmei’s reasoning, she nodded, "True, after all, we are not that closely related. It’s hard to accept things from others, and then we have to return the favor later."
"Exactly, I don’t plan to be friends with her for life, better not to take anything from her," Zhou Yunmei also said this.
That was just the way Zhou Yunmei was—if someone treated her well, she would reciprocate with all her heart. But if that person did something to displease her, no matter how good things had been before, it could be dismissed.
Moreover, she was the kind who could be as close as anything one minute, but would turn her face the next over some trivial matter or even if she heard something she didn’t like.
On the contrary, no matter how big the argument with others, as long as someone capitulates in front of her and says a few pleasing words to satisfy her vanity, she would completely forget any excessive things the person has done to her.
In Zhou Yunmei’s case, it really confirms the saying, "There are no eternal enemies, nor eternal friends."
Fang Pingying believes that Zhou Yunmei is currently showing an attitude of not wanting to deal with Duan Fenghua, but the moment Duan Fenghua sends her some gifts or utters a few kind words, she will immediately make up with her.
So, she didn’t take her words seriously.
Thinking of Luo Zhiyong leaving in the morning, Fang Pingying made some extra buns last night, and everyone in the family ate them for breakfast.
The buns were filled with vegetables, dried bean curd, and vermicelli, and they actually tasted rather good. Everyone at home said they were delicious and even clamored for Fang Pingying to make more so they could have them for breakfast regularly.
Zhou Yunmei also said they were good, adding that it was tiring to only eat cornbread or leftovers for breakfast at home, and occasionally changing flavors was a good idea. Moreover, such large buns would cost ten cents each in town, and she usually begrudged eating them.
To be honest, although Zhou Yunmei was not as satisfied with her daughter-in-law, Fang Pingying, as she had initially hoped, she highly trusted her cooking skills. The large buns that she made looked good and tasted great.
Even though she herself had made buns for many years, the taste of hers could never match Fang Pingying’s. What’s more important is that Fang Pingying’s buns did not contain meat, yet they tasted even better than her own meat buns, which meant they could save a considerable amount of money.
Fang Pingying thought about how the newly built room would take a couple more days to be ready, and how the dates she bought from Chen Rong the day before needed to be dried in the courtyard until they turned red.
With some free time over the next few days, she would be able to make time to prepare some buns. Now that the weather was not too hot, the buns would stay fresh for a couple of days after being steamed.
The family had ample vegetables for the buns, but she would need to buy dried tofu from the tofu sellers in the village.
Since taking charge of Luo Zhiyong’s salary a few days ago, Fang Pingying was no longer managing the household food expenses. Since she needed to spend money to buy dried tofu, Fang Pingying asked Zhou Yunmei, "Mom, how many pounds of dried tofu do we need for the buns? If you really want to eat buns, please decide who should go buy some dried tofu."
After hearing this, Zhou Yunmei hesitated for a moment before responding, "Forget about it, let’s not eat the buns. I’ll buy them next time I go to the market."
In fact, she was somewhat displeased inside, thinking that it wouldn’t cost much to buy a few pounds of dried tofu, yet Fang Pingying was unwilling to pay for it and wanted her to make the purchase.
In her heart, she treasured her own money, insisting on being strictly principled with it.
But when it came to Fang Pingying’s money, she felt that it should be offered unconditionally for her to use. She wished that after Luo Zhiyong gave the household food money, Fang Pingying would contribute all the income she earned from her monthly business to her as well.
Noticing that at first Zhou Yunmei had wanted to eat the buns but now had decided against it, Fang Pingying knew it was because she was upset about the dried tofu issue.
Fang Pingying couldn’t be bothered with it. She couldn’t let her husband support the family and then have to subsidize the entire family with the hard-earned money she made herself, especially when the food expenses should be covered by Luo Zhiyong’s money.
Whether they ate buns or not, she was indifferent.
Seeing that there was nothing to do at home, Fang Pingying tidied up the courtyard.
Afterward, she returned to her room to make clothes. (To be continued. If you book, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)